I don’t usually do this sort of thing, review something. But I decided to do something different. In part of a strip mall is a treasure – CC Wok Café, here in Richmond, VA. One of the best Chinese restaurants in which I have dined. I have dined in many: Philadelphia, New York, San Francisco, London…this place just shines among higher priced and fancier establishments. It is small but nice ambiance, unpretentious, friendly, reasonably priced, immaculately clean. Attentive but unobtrusive wait staff who remember you after the second visit. I don’t have to ask for chopsticks anymore.
Today, we state workers were allowed to escape for the Thanksgiving holiday at noon. It was a raw, blustery day with a mix of rain/sleet/snow. Perfect day for a pot of hot tea and excellent Chinese food. The chef at CC Wok has crafting excellent food for 39 years. The sauces are all made from scratch, housemade stocks, and no MSG. Lunches are smaller portions but include beverage, plain fried rice or steamed rice, soup, or spring roll.
Today I chose Governor Chicken with steamed rice, egg drop soup, and hot tea. The soup was thick and golden as July sun full of delicate egg “flowers”. Still warm deep fried strips of wonton wrapper were served with the soup – delicate flavor but rich on the tongue and warm in the tummy. The wonton strips were crispy and not greasy and were a nice accompaniment to the soup. The pot of tea brought to me today was Jasmine. I opened the lid to find lovely jasmine blooms floating in the hot tea. I sniffed in the aroma and felt at peace. The tea was freshly brewed and not stewed – full flavored but not bitter.
The Governor chicken was superb. Chunks of velveted thigh meat tossed in corn starch and fried to perfect crispy bites. These chunks were quickly tossed with a sauce that truly made me happy – deep brown sauce, smoky with pan roasted Szechuan peppers, tongue numbing with plenty of chili oil, and fragrant with fresh ginger. Crispy broccoli and carrots, earthy mushrooms and chunks of scallion finished the dish.
You will note in the picture, I used a paper wrap from a straw to create a chopstick rest. those cheap wooden chopsticks are not used; rather, chopsticks like I would use at home were given to me to use. I ate every bite and thoroughly enjoyed. My only reqret was that I could not order seconds to eat as the serving I was given filled me to the point of almost uncomfortable.
I am sorry that you all cannot enjoy CC Wok. Their website is: http://ccwokcafe.com should you want to check it out. I give this place 5 drool points out of 5.
kanzen sakura 